Shami reverse swings India to fabulous Eden win (Intro-Roundup)

Kolkata, Nov 8 (IANS) Pacer Mohammad Shami capped a dream debut to claim five wickets with his awesome reverse swing as India inflicted an innings and 51-run defeat on a hapless West Indies inside three days to mark a fabulous start to the Sachin Tendulkar farewell series here Friday.

Kolkata, Nov 8 (IANS) Pacer Mohammad Shami capped a dream debut to claim five wickets with his awesome reverse swing as India inflicted an innings and 51-run defeat on a hapless West Indies inside three days to mark a fabulous start to the Sachin Tendulkar farewell series here Friday.

Shami followed up a 4/71 first innings performance with a 5/47 effort in the second to finish with an enviable match haul of 9/118 -- the best by an Indian pacer on Test debut - as India won their fifth match on the trot.

Needing 219 runs to escape the ignominy of an innings upset, the West Indies battleed but collapsed like a pack of cards in the final session, to be bundled out for 168.

Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul (31 not out; 101 b, 2x4) put up a gritty resistance, but ran out of partners as the match ended 98 minutes after tea.

Offie Ravichandran Ashwin followed up his success with the bat (124) with admirable figures of 3/46. He had also taken two wickets in the visitors' first innings.

In the morning, Ashwin struck his second Test ton (210b 11x4) and extended his seventh wicket stand with Man of the Match Rohit Sharma (177, 301b 23x4, 1x6) to a staggering 280 to enable the hosts finish at a mammoth 453. The tourists notched up 234 in their first innings.

Beginning their second knock post lunch, the Caribbeans raised the promise of a fightback as seasoned opener Chris Gayle (33) started in a blitz manner. But the Jamaican was the first to get out - to a poor shot.

The Caribbeans reached 101/1, courtesy a 68-run second wicket stand between Darren Bravo (37; 78 b, 4X4) and Kieran Powell (36; 83 b, 5x4), before Ashwin began the Caribbean demolition. He foxed Powell with a flighted delivery that hit the batsman on the pad plumb in front of the stumps.

Shami - after a listless first spell - returned with a vengeance close to tea, and saw the back of Marlon Samuels (4) with one that reversed and got him leg before.

In the second over after tea, Bravo tried to cut Ashwin, but finished in the hands of a diving Rohit Sharma at point. The West Indies were then 120/4.

Shami then jagged one back after pitching on a length just outside the off stump, inducing an inside edge from Windies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (1).

With half the side gone, Chanderpaul (23) and skipper Darren Sammy (8) tried to put up resistance briefly, but they crumbled in Shami's 11th over - the 49th of the innings.

The Bengal pacer again pitched on a length outside the off stump, and got the ball to reverse, uprooting Sammy's middle stump.

Two deliveries later, Shane Shillingford got a similar ball which unsettled the off stump through the gate.

The Caribbeans were jolted again after the next delivery. Shami extracted reverse swing, and Veerasammy Permaul (0) was struck on the pads. As the Indian fielders appealed, Permaul took a few steps out of the crease, but the alert Dhoni threw down the stumps to get a run out decision.

The writing on the wall was more than clear, with the West Indies reeling at 152/8. The formalities were soon completed with Ashwin claiming Tino Best (3) and Shami castling Sheldon Cottrel (5).

Earlier, resuming at 354/6 overnight, Ashwin and Rohit batted fluently to notch up a stand of 280 - an Indian highest for the seventh wicket - which catapulted the hosts to a strong position.

Ashwin, who had taken the partnership to 200 in the morning's second over with a streaky boundary off Best, brought up his delightful 100 in the fourth over by pushing the same bowler through the sweeper cover.

Reaching the three-figure mark, a visibly ecstatic Ashwin punched the air as Tendulkar applauded in appreciation in the dressing room balcony. The landmark was reached off 159 balls.

All the four wickets in the morning session were equally shared by the visiting spinners on a track which played slow but gave turn. Shillingford (6/167) claimed his fifth five-wicket haul in 11 Tests. Left-armer Permaul (2/67) was the other successful bowler.

Rohit finally departed as he deliberately padded an offering from Permaul which pitched around the off stump and turned away.

Aswhin was claimed by Shillingford with a flighted delivery which beat the batsman and dislodged the middle stump.

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